Daily
Dispatch 15 Jan 07
SDLP
MAGINNESS SLAMS SECRETARY OF STATE OVER VICTIMS COMMISSIONER FIASCO
Commenting on the High Court ruling today which decided not to
quash the appointment of Victims Commissioner Bertha McDougall
SDLP Justice Spokesperson Alban Maginness MLA stated:
“The simple fact of the matter is that the Secretary of
State acted illegally in making this appointment. The whole affair
has been extremely damaging and lessons must be learned from the
way it has been carried out. The SDLP has always made it clear
that we do not have a problem with Bertha McDougall, but we do
have a problem with the manner of her appointment. It is clear
that we need to move on from the bad politics of side deals to
a transparent and accountable selection process so that no person
or no organisation ends up in a similar position as the result
of malign political influence in the future.
“We are in this situation solely because of the Secretary
of State made this appointment with the same sort of side-deal
approach that has done so much damage in the overall political
process. He did so in the face of clear warnings that this was
not the proper way to do things. That is no reflection on Mrs
McDougall or her work, and fair-minded people will understand
what a difficult position it puts her in. But the Secretary of
State created this mess and he must fix it.”
